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Friday, 4 January 2013

Bedford coffee shop boasts Michelangelo fresco recreation

A fresco painted on the side of a Bedford coffee house
using an ancient artform may "last for a thousand years", the shop's
owner claims.

Part of
Michelangelo's Libyan Sibyl has been recreated on the outside wall of Frescoes
in Mill Street.

Artist Iain Carstairs
used pigment paint on lime plaster, a technique dating back to about 1500 BC.

Shop owner
Kevin Kavanagh, said: "The building will fall down before it fades."

He said the
piece, copied from a work on the ceiling of Rome's Sistine Chapel, took three months
and approximately £12,000 to complete.

'Local impact'

He added he was
"delighted" with the result.

"Painting
on lime with pigment paint gives it longevity, which is why you can see works
of art around the world which have lasted for hundreds of years," he said.

"The lime
plaster mix that you put on first, you could hit it with a sledgehammer and it
wouldn't break."

The Frescoes'
owner, who describes himself as a "bit of an art lover", regularly
displays pieces from local artists in his shop.

Local people
contributed to the cost but most of it came from Mr Kavanagh's own pocket.

He said it was
his way of "adding to the culture of the town".

"It's had
a tremendous impact locally and really taken off," said Mr Kavanagh.

"People
have been amazed to see the incredible work that has gone into it and the final
result certainly has the wow factor."

Artist Mr
Carstairs said: "I hadn't realised how tricky it would be but I am very
happy with the result and want to do some more."